The Buster Gets Busted!
by Rave The Rich
Summary: The World Club Double Tournament is taking place in Driftveil City for a huge prize. It marks the first time Iris and Georgia have seen each other since the former's parting words. As the battles progress, the realization of unfinished business ultimately hits them both. BusterShipping. Rated for language, some sexual and drug references, and mild violence.
1. Sunrise in Georgia

The Buster Gets Busted!

Nobody but me out there knows how BADLY I wanted to tackle this pairing and do it the necessary justice it deserves. Again, this is BusterShipping (Iris/Georgia) and the dichotomy is quite unique amongst Pokémon ships. The two would bite one another if they weren't afraid of being poisoned by the other's venom but, at the same time, each girl wants the other one to be at their best. Not to mention that whenever they stare each other down, they make electricity. Heck if 'Connoisseur Boy' Cilan can see beyond mere strife and rivalry, that should tell you something right there. Ages of pair are now mid-teens and Cilan is in his late teens.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, a creation of one Satoshi Tajiri, and is produced domestically (in the United States) by The Pokemon Company, and internationally by Nintendo, Shogakukan and OLM. I personally own nothing and make nothing by writing this. Please do not flame.

(Chapter 1- Sunrise in Georgia)

* * *

The notice in last Sunday's paper, held tightly in her right hand, caused a change in her plans so rapid, there was some inner fear within her that she'd break her neck if it meant there would be at least a shot for her in this latest Unova region tournament. Disregarding the wind that always seems to come through Driftveil City at this time, the pace of this young woman is like a cheetah in the pride lands; fantastic straight line speed and a noticeable depth of gracefulness as her destination finally comes into view. The still-lit street lights on this early Monday morning guide this aspiring soul to an opportunity few could imagine earning, but she finds herself among the first to take advantage of it if the true gravity of the news slipped past other trainer's minds.

As the arena grows closer, so does the box office and the sign-in station for Club Battle tournaments in the Unova region. No one is there, not even an office worker to process early deliveries. She just has to take in a sigh of relief knowing that she wouldn't be unnecessarily delayed by poor directions, but mostly because she can finally slow down and relax for a few minutes taking solace in the fact that her place in line is now secure.

Looking around her surroundings, she sees a park bench by one of the lights and sits there to collect all her thoughts. While here, the teen takes off her newsgirl cap to wipe the sweat off her brow. The rest is not simply a means of relaxation but to also make sure that her materials are in order so she can sign up with no issues.

Her actions are much like a fanatic waiting for tickets to her favorite artist, but for sixteen-year old Georgia Langelin if all goes well, she'll be on her way to notoriety more becoming of a rock star. "I can't believe that all the trainers in Unova aren't busting down the doors of the Driftveil Battle Club to take advantage of this," she speaks while noticing the calm of the city streets broken only by a select few who've elected to get their daily running in prior to the rising of the sun.

Georgia can't worry about competition now as much as she did five years ago. Such is the lesson that can often only come through much trial and error. Back then, the concerns consumed her to the point she nearly lost it all; the reason why she became a trainer in the first place, the desire to see new and exciting worlds, and the love that she had for her Pokémon and guiding that special combination to great success. "It's whatever. It's their loss and my gain for recognizing opportunity knocking."

Checking her watch the time shows Georgia fifteen minutes remaining until six o'clock. In another seventy-five minutes, the Battle Club will open up and she can begin preparations for the World Club Double Tournament. While here, she opens up her blue knapsack, pulling out her Dewar flask filled with coffee and creamer along with a bag of homemade trail mix for nourishment.

Indeed, Georgia is no longer a young girl riding the wave and wandering about as if she has no idea how to conduct business. The difference now, compared to then, is that she doesn't need others to get her psyched for her passion. Her past escapades make Georgia laugh at times. All things considered it would make an interesting, if not somewhat dark, comedy. She loses to one trainer of a dragon-type Pokémon very early on in her journey and went on her own single-girl crusade to bring down all other dragon trainers and all those who thought they could control dragon types until there were none remaining.

After some time she hears through the grapevine about a girl her age named Iris, locally from the Village of Dragons, who's expressed and spoken goal is to become a Dragon Master. Her primary target for dragon busting now known, she sets out to find her and find that Iris is in the company of a male Pokémon trainer all the way from the Kanto region and a Class-A Pokémon Connoisseur who also serves as one of the three gym leaders of the Striaton City gym.

Observers would rightfully question the methods of Georgia's madness; going through so much trouble just to meet and challenge Iris. After all, if she were worth her weight as a trainer, the aspiring Dragon Master would eventually find herself locking up with the Dragon Buster. "Some might think I was stalking the poor kid," she humbly reflects. There must be something that clicks at the point when people are willing to deal with truth. In this case, Georgia can look back and freely admit she had an obsession with beating that which beat her. This included several instances before their introduction when she'd ask passersby if they'd seen them while holding up a picture of the trio and placing added emphasis on the girl with the prodigious long-flowing hair and an Axew resting in said coiffure.

After six weeks of hunting her down, Georgia headed the trio off at the pass before they arrived in Nimbasa City and made her intentions well known to Iris; that Georgia knew who she was, that she knew where she came from and that her goal is to defeat her in battle. After making quick work of Iris' Axew, Georgia came away disappointed with the fact that an aspiring Dragon Master had only one dragon type and did not count her later draw against Iris' Excadrill as a loss.

As the battles waged on and the traveling from both sides continued, Georgia gained more than a measure of respect for Iris and she could tell the feeling was mutual. The Dragon Buster certainly could drum up a myriad of excuses as to why she herself hasn't been busted by Iris, even though she's lost to Iris, and her dragon types, but the vast majority of them were for naught. She could tell that her adversary was well on her way to great things before the wild child did and that is the likely reason for the acknowledgements of jobs well done.

Finally, after just over a year of battling throughout the Unova region, the final Club Battle between the two took place. Both won Club Battles of their own and this would be the last battle between the two for a while. Georgia committed to train and capture Pokémon in the northern Sinnoh region while Iris aimed to do the same and cement her reputation in Hoenn. Both knew of each other's plans going into this battle and they made sure to bring their 'A' games in a tournament that was more than worthy of them. In the end it was Iris' Dragonite defeating Georgia's Beartic in a grinding test of wills spitting in the face of type advantages while providing the fans a classic battle to cap off the quarterfinals.

Iris would defeat Stephan in the semifinal match but lose the final match to, of all trainers, Bianca. Iris could hardly believe that the decidedly bubbly blonde rose to the occasion to win it all, especially after getting a sense of how close she was to none of this success happening because of her father's reluctance. Georgia was legitimately happy for Bianca, as well. Indeed, she always seeks to win whenever the opportunity arises, but this was different. Bianca could be accused of many things, but by no means was she a phony. Amongst her peers, the win was a popular one and after a few more years of training, she recently retired, converting her career earnings towards a new goal in educating the youngest Unova region citizens about the incredible Pokémon world.

After that intense tournament, the major players would be going their separate ways. Some would not see each other again and a busted Dragon Buster got a final talking to from Iris who made it clear that she is a great trainer. She told Georgia to not have any one thing consume her in this world that isn't the all-natural high of training, traveling and learning as much as she can about the world around her. Iris made it clear that if she wanted to become an ice-type trainer and an eventual gym leader, then that is her prerogative.

She added, however, that if this goal was merely to show her up or to prove once and for all that dragon types are inferior then Georgia is going about this for all the wrong reasons. "Even now," Iris added, "I don't know much about you, but I can see the desire in you to work to be the best. Just imagine if I were out of the picture, that we didn't have our…mess, and I think you'll get it. You're no kid, Georgia, you just have to put this craziness in the rear-view mirror, because I'm moving forward." Those were the last words Iris had for her then-rival before her departure. Georgia remembers her walk being one of purpose and feeling somewhat hurt that Iris made a point to tell her how little the Dragon Trainer knew of the Dragon Buster. Though Georgia wouldn't admit it out of sheer pride, Iris' words were an inspiration for her setting her on the current path as a premier trainer in Unova.

Looking back, if only for this brief moment, serves as more than a time killer as Georgia looks up to find the sun barely peaking up, from her perspective, to meet the cityscape. "It won't be long now," she figures. In about an hour she can sign up, get in some practice and decide the right combinations for this all important tournament.

From the peaking of the orange sun, Georgia turns her attention back to the empty stadium off to the left. It's not as if she's nervous to the point of self doubt; the butterflies in her stomach are the sign that she's a living being. It's a key to her mindset that says despite her preparation and strict regimen, someone else might put in that little more to make all the difference. It is the trainers she knows would give up one of their limbs if it meant only a small chance for what the Battle Clubs are offering. But most of all, it's the fulfillment of a challenge…

"Well, this is a 'long time, no see' moment if I've ever had one!" A cheerful yet too wise for his own good voice interrupts her pondering forcing Georgia to turn around and confirm for her own eyes the arrival of an older trainer from Unova.

She sees him and there's no doubt about it, now. "Well if it isn't Class-S Connoisseur Cilan," Georgia says before getting up from the bench and shaking the hand of the former Striaton City Gym Leader. "It's been—what? About a year since I last saw you in person; though I have caught you recently with Don George and Freddy O'Martian on TV. I know everyone wondered why a great gym leader, a rising connoisseur and superstar trainer would want to go into the booth as a commentator, but…once again, you proved the doubters wrong. You fit that crew like a rubber glove."

"Well, there's nothing wrong with a desire to go out beyond one's horizon searching for the best flavors of all worlds," Cilan reasons. "The aroma of opportunity to truly become well-rounded in my profession as connoisseur for many trainers at once made this an offer I just couldn't refuse. Granted, it certainly requires more homework than when I started learning about compatibility between trainers and Pokémon, but I know of no better way to present these relations to the Unova region and get my voice heard across the airwaves. You might say I'm living the dream of all the best Pokémon connoisseurs for that reason alone."

"But…what about you and your brothers?" Georgia questions. "You're a team, a family and a great story, to boot. Was there ever a moment where you thought, 'Okay, I worked my tail off for all this success and now is the time to enjoy the fruits of my labor with the people who know and love me.'? It's crazy! Cilan, you just don't stop. When you climb the summit of one mountain, you see the next mountain on the horizon and aim for that one, no questions asked. I can't…you're just…unreal."

Cilan is legitimately humbled by those remarks and lets Georgia know that, saying, "Well, thank you Georgia. That means…"

"I hate you!"

"I beg your pardon?" he asks confused.

Putting up her right hand and shaking it in front of Cilan, she clarifies her words, saying "Don't worry about me, Cilan. At least one of us has it together. I've put myself under an inordinate amount of stress because the stakes are just that damn high. I…I'm just hoping to my higher power out there that everything comes together for the tournament this week. You and I both know that no one entering this will leave any stones unturned."

"Why would they?" Cilan acquiesces. "I mean, we're not talking about a…year's supply of this, a collection of knickknacks, winning a day with a Pokémon Champion, or even the opportunity to battle him or her. This goes beyond even that great of an honor. This is truly life-changing." Holding up a single index finger, he says, certain that he's only reminding Georgia, "A one-year scholarship to the finest school for aspiring gym leaders combined with a year-long sponsorship from the Battle Clubs including free VIP access. The cost is…no. There's just no way to place a value on that to trainers who've scratched, clawed and captured their way to the top for this unique chance."

"And you wonder why I might be just a little bit on edge," Georgia interjects. "I mean, you've seen me through a good portion of it and your new gig just puts me and other like trainers in that bright spotlight. I just…never want to go back to that time when I drastically lost focus. I was out of control and…I was such a kid. Never again, Cilan."

"Well, it definitely speaks highly of your character to admit as much. Aside from the fact that at the time you _were_ a kid, one thing's for sure; it always takes two to tango."

Georgia had a feeling where Cilan was attempting to go with this and it made her go on the defensive for her sake. "Spare me. She's in the past."

"I…wouldn't be so dismissive of Iris, Georgia," he replies sincerely. "Remember, I have some contact with her and one of the best paths to her goal of Dragon Master goes through this tournament. Iris is bound to be here and with the records you two have, you're bound to meet each other again, and then what? Will she just be 'in the past' to you when you stare across to her in the heat of battle…or was that more than just electricity that I saw between you two back then?"

It was true. The connoisseur made an informed point on a subject Georgia would argue he has no evidence to form any conclusive basis. If Cilan decided to go any further with this, Georgia would be of the mind to call him out for prying into private business. "Just get your mind focused on what you yourself said was the all-important prize, all right? Look, it has crossed my mind the possibility that she'll be here. You happy, Cilan? Besides, I'm not really dismissive of her as much as…I'm not interested in going down that road again."

"Would that mean even…not being cordial to her if she wants to say 'hello'?"

"Well, I don't have anything against her anymore," she admits.

"Then why won't you even say her name?"

Sighing, Georgia doesn't want to keep this conversation going. Cilan is really pushing her buttons, but she'll keep up the wall of doubt as long as she can. "I have nothing against _Iris_. My feeling is that we're two different trainers with different goals and preferences for what one might call the…yin and yang of elemental types." Then, like a light bulb's illumination, the idea comes to her to stop Cilan from bringing this tiresome subject up again. "Besides, it's been four years. She's probably forgotten about me and…she'd have every reason to. She's moved on, as she should."

"How do you know that if you haven't seen her?"

"Look, I'm done with it, Cilan!" she exclaims, pissed off that he persists with this subject of Iris. "I can't worry about it, because I can't control it. What time is it?" she asks, feeling this conversation taking a longer time than what she would've asked. Checking her watch confirms as much. "Five minutes to seven. The battle club opens at seven on the dot and I can start practicing. In another five hours, I can sign up. So you see? All this talk about Iris coming and what she'll do means nothing. She'll do what she does! I couldn't tell you. I'm worried about Iris, but no more or less than the other fourteen trainers that make it to the elimination rounds."

"I'm not saying you aren't," Cilan argues. "What I'm saying is your candor is very evasive towards someone you haven't seen since age twelve. 'I won't go down that road again?' 'She's in the past?' 'She has every reason to forget me?' Where's all this coming from? You both grew up together in this sport! Not to mention, Iris would not have become the trainer _she_ is if it hadn't have been for you."

"Well, if she were any kind of woman, much less a trainer, she'd at least say something after four years, right?"

"I don't quite think that's how it works, Georgia."

Shaking her head, she can tell that the niggling feeling is coming back, no thanks to this Top Connoisseur in front of her. "I don't give a damn," she concedes. Walking away from Cilan and to the Battle Club she makes it known to him to "Think what you will. I still have a job to do this week."

Cilan watches Georgia absolutely baffled at her apathy. Following her to the doors, he asks, "Is that how you're gonna leave it between you two? Nothing at all to say?"

Really, that did not amount to the whole story for Georgia, but to keep Cilan from digging any deeper than he had the right to, she says, "Like I said, think what you will. Now, if you'll excuse me," and after that hanging pardon, she opens the door and does not hold it for Cilan.

He's left outside to ponder the actions of a trainer, who's some parts scorned, other parts annoyed, and all parts on the defensive. "The question is, why? Georgia's not gonna say anything, so I'm just gonna have to keep my eyes open this week and make sure no one leaves with a bitter taste in their mouths..._if_ I can help it."

* * *

A/N: So this is part one, focused on Georgia. Part two will focus primarily on Iris. It would seem Georgia is on pins and needles. How's Iris handling the possibilities? Find out in chapter two.

Until then, this is Rave!


	2. Iris on the Prize

The Buster Gets Busted!

The story opens to sixteen-year old Georgia Langelin running to the Driftveil City tournament arena for the World Club Double Tournament, getting there before the sunrise. Knowing her place in the Battle Club is secure; she gets in a light meal and reflects on days gone by. After not seeing Iris since their last match together four years ago, she's moved away from the moniker of 'Dragon Buster', but not being primarily an ice-type trainer. This has brought her to this tournament, the grand prize being a year scholarship to a prime gym leader's school and a year sponsorship by the Battle Clubs including free VIP access to all Battle Clubs.

Before the doors open, Cilan sees Georgia sitting by the arena. Cilan is commentating with Don George and Freddy O'Martian in his new role and the two get into a conversation about the prize at stake. This leads into talk about Iris and how she might take advantage of this chance because she still desires to be a Dragon Master. Georgia is very defensive when Iris is brought up. The combination of her tense demeanor and Cilan's ambiguous insinuations of something more than fierce rivalry between the two girls frustrates her to the point she leaves him to 'think what he will' as the doors to the Battle Club open.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, a creation of one Satoshi Tajiri, and is produced domestically (in the United States) by The Pokemon Company International, and internationally by Nintendo, Shogakukan and OLM. I personally own nothing and make nothing by writing this. Please do not flame.

(Chapter 2- Iris on the Prize)

* * *

There is a legitimate reason why people turn their heads when she walks through city or town streets. Is the reason her extensive, dark-purple hair? Possibly, but that often comes just a few seconds after people get their initial view of her. Would it be her exotic clothing and dress? Not exactly, given that many throughout the different regions can stake a claim to being on the cusp of what would be a 'wild' taste in fashion and she's in no position to dispute such claims either. Would it be the crown on the top of her head, representative of a title she won placing her number one amongst all dragon-type trainers in the world? Probably, but the true reason is likely next to her; the same Pokémon who helped her earn that crown.

The fact is that wherever Dragon Master in training Iris Drayton goes she walks with her starting Pokémon, Haxorus, and everywhere she goes she hears the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the locals. They've likely seen the trainer on television and were in awe when it happened. Iris went all the way to the finals with her then-Fraxure, who evolved into Haxorus, when the officials were close to declaring the battle over. After the comeback against a Garchomp, Haxorus pulled off the victory to take the dragon-type crown for his trainer and accolades from all regions.

As time progressed from that pivotal win, Iris' victory took on the feel of a legend's tale. There would be whispers and talk in the towns, large and small, about the arrival of the girl who could will on dragons. Others would claim she had the heart of a dragon, making her keenly aware of their condition in battle allowing her to make necessary adjustments on the fly for victory. That one got a laugh out of Iris at times for its outright ridiculousness. 'That's certainly news to me,' she'd ponder.

Initially, the attention and reputation following Iris after her national success was quite humbling. There is no way anyone could suggest that she entered the world of training as a direct route to fame or fortune. Her hometown is the closely-held Village of Dragons where she grew up with the Pokémon at all times, forging friendships and understanding what makes these unique creatures tick. That would give her the opportunity to join her old companion Cilan as a more specified Dragon connoisseur, but her true love for competing and battling is what drove her to this point where she's on the cusp of something amazing happening in her career.

While others faltered and wilted under the pressure, she bloomed. That's not to say that Iris hasn't had instances where she believed throwing in the towel or taking the path of least resistance would be her best option. Truly, for anyone who aspires to be a champion in their chosen profession, there will be peaks and valleys along the way. Iris' greatest issue through six years plus of training was being an optimum leader and trainer to her Pokémon. Controlling members of her team through their numerous growing pains did not come with great ease. There were the questions of her abilities. Was she fooling herself when it came to these lofty goals?

Again, it was only natural that at times during this lengthy journey that Iris would point the finger at herself. Gaining in confidence was not just physically tough, but emotionally tough, as it meant several occurrences where she had to drop down a peg or two after becoming too self-assured in battles. Being a loser at times was a blessing, because it made the victories much more precious. All matches were a learning experience and at no point in her career did she learn more than during her brief time with so-called Dragon Buster Georgia.

Unsolicited, she walked over to her, introduced herself, spoke of her goal and challenged her to battle. The battles waged on throughout Unova and then, one day, it was over for the two nearly as quickly as it began. Georgia went her way, but not before Iris gave her a piece of her mind and let her know that she could be all whatever she wanted to be, provided that _she_ wanted it for her and no other reason.

Time passed and, as she planned, the two didn't see each other again; even after four years. Iris continued building on her reputation as a stout dragon-type trainer and with the attention given to the rare but powerful type Pokémon she's in command of, she's gotten a great deal of attention. The elders of the Village of Dragons let young Iris know that there would be many people in the course of her journey that will want to associate with her because of this and that she would have to have a keen sense of discernment and learn which people to align herself with and which ones to avoid.

For the most part, Iris has not been burned by the exploiters on her journey. That doesn't mean, however, that it's any easier for her in near-daily dealings with the press or potential sponsors. It's the part of the journey no one told her about and no one could've prepared her for it, either.

Beyond the tradition dating back to when the elders of her village gave Iris her Axew, she's found it to be more of a necessity to have Haxorus outside of his Poké Ball at all times than she could've ever imagined. She obviously doesn't have to worry about her Pokémon getting into her hair; members of the paparazzi do enough of that day in and day out to cause her no end of undue frustration.

She hates it. Never in a thousand lifetimes would Iris believe that she'd hate something about her journey and working to her premier goal, which, on the whole, has been a beautiful labor of love. Having to wake up at three o'clock in the morning some days because of flashbulbs from a photographer is not what she had in mind as a part of the deal. Although there is a chilling satisfaction watching the spy of the week running away from her angered Haxorus, this is not what she had in mind dealing with during these so-called golden years of her training.

Iris' popularity brings about the most extreme examples of fanaticism and sensationalism that test her love of the sport like nothing else. To see adults fan over her and want to treat her like a celebrity because she is a successful dragon trainer gives her feelings of discord; as if it isn't the right course for her to travel. Never did she ask to be showered with this affection; it's just a 'perk', as they say, of the business. A perk she would rather do without, all things considered.

For all of Iris' concerns, one thing she has no issue with are the young people who come up to her; the young people that aren't of training age yet, but see Iris as a hero. They are, by far, the most humbling aspect of this journey. Iris never basks in the glory of children admiring her for her work. Initially, in fact, she attempted to divert the hero status away from her and to others more deserving of such a title.

The young kids wouldn't hear any of it and their innocence touched her unlike anything else. It's funny. She made such a huff about her companions and rivals being kids, but until she saw all the positive things she could learn from them as a teen, Iris realized that childhood is a unique gift that only comes around once in a lifetime, and then it's gone. The times should be cherished like the kids looking to her for an autograph, not made fun of like she once did in years past.

So perhaps there are those who might know Iris having seen her in battle in person or on television. It's hard to determine if someone looks the same as they do on the small screen, but it's easy to recognize a large Haxorus, at times carrying his trainer on his back, and the trainer appearing to have the motif of an exotic princess on an International Goodwill tour. Iris just prays at night to her greater power for some semblance of reality to hit either her or the people that follow her religiously. It would be far easier for her to fall into the crowd unnoticed, but it has never been in her DNA to take the road most traveled…for the most part.

The word through the newswire hit her just a few days ago about the latest in the Club Battle tournaments; this particular edition being held in Drifveil City is for a prize she feels could catapult her to possible status as a gym leader while also giving her some stability she hasn't had in at least a year. Another reason for taking a chance on this once-in-a-lifetime shot is that Iris will voluntarily take her name out of consideration for the title of Dragon Master. It isn't a slight to her ultimate goal as trainer as much as she sees the opportunity to grow in training while in a controlled environment where her progress isn't measured and dissected at the mercy of the media. For once she can be in control of her team lineup and style of battle while facing a variety of trainers who will be up to face her Pokémon and no one will aimlessly speculate on her chances of taking the next step.

A couple of days of walking, signing a fair share of autographs and having to use her Haxorus for some more crowd control and Iris finds herself near Driftveil City's Battle Club and about to enter for signup. As she goes inside the familiar building, she sees the activity from all four corners; Battle Club members handle paperwork and speak over the phone lines while trainers do research and set up appointments for future battles. It's all par for the course during a tournament week, but there appears to be a skip in everyone's steps this Monday morning given the magnitude of the reward and the attention they've gotten from trainers. The feedback is clear, and everyone involved has their eyes on the grand prize.

"Hey, do my eyes deceive me or is that who I think it is?" Iris cringed. Those are words she hears on a near-daily basis and usually they come from another fanatic who can't believe they're in the same space as the next big thing in dragon training.

This time, thankfully, is not like the others because as Iris turns around she sees a hybrid trainer she got to know some years ago. Walking up to the fair-skinned teen, Iris can't help but notice many changes that happened to her former combatant in the two and a half years since they last met. This girl has more the look of a woman now than before, for sure, but gone are the short skirts, knit caps and long flowing hair in favor of a light blue buttoned-down blouse with a black and white checkered sash around the collar. A white and beige knitted wrap shawl skirt serves as the bottom and a pair of moderately thick glasses reflects nicely on a straight and fresh looking haircut hanging just below her shoulders. The teens give each other a hug and Iris says, "Dawn! It's so good to see you again, but…what brings you all the way out here?"

"The stakes are so high for this; it's hard not to get excited!" Dawn exclaims. "I have a friend whose father is a gym leader and it took him at least five years of quality training to get to the point he was even considered for such a position. Now, whoever wins this tournament gets a free ride to school and from there…it's all up to them, but this is just an amazing opportunity and one I didn't want to miss if I could help it. To see the gym leader of the future is…wow! Unbelievable!"

Not to say that Iris suffered from a bout of information overload from Dawn's rapid fire explanation for her appearance, but it just felt like the Sinnoh region trainer was all over the place with her cheerfulness. Again, in no way is any of this markedly bad, but Iris felt something a bit strange given the business-like composure of everyone else. Then again, Dawn didn't even mention a reason that might cause her to not share the mood of her peers. "You want to be a part of this, but you're not competing are you, Dawn?"

"Oh, goodness no," she answers. "I'm still chasing the dream of being Top Coordinator one day, but I've learned over the years there's no harm in branching out. I just…couldn't see myself set with one primary type in the future, though, but that could change and the environment certainly has a role in that. In the Unova region, there's a much more inclusive atmosphere for every trainer to display their talents."

Iris nods at that assertion knowing that there are many different paths elsewhere to the top of competitive training. Again, she mentally distances herself from Dawn for some unconscious reason. It's annoying that this always tends to arise, but this is something the dragon-type trainer has no control of, and she's resolved herself to more important matters to tend to than these arbitrary feelings.

Why does she have them, though and why do they persist? Is it the fact that they're in a 'long time, no see' moment? Maybe, at first, but any initial jitters are now out of the way. Could it be that Dawn is…_really_ looking quite mature while maintaining a high level of modesty? Yes, but these impulses always go beyond friends and strangers whom she thinks look nice. Is this insecurity the result of envy? Well, not exactly.

"Dawn, you look so beautiful," Iris remarks; whatever filters in her brain clearly not on the job at this moment.

"Ah thank you, Iris. That was quite nice of you to say."

Then it hit her. "Oh, shit!" she exclaims before putting her hands over her mouth and whispering "Not again!"

Dawn can't believe how the Unova trainer looks at the moment. It's as if she's flushed and it came after she gave her a fine compliment. She wasn't quite sure, so she asked, "Iris? Are you all right?"

Bringing her hands down from her face, Iris nods her head. Now shaking her head, she admits, "I'm sorry. I thought it was a phase…it's weird, but…"

"You don't have to say anything, Iris. All you did was make a compliment from one friend to another. Saying that I look beautiful shouldn't mean anything more than that."

"But what if,"

"No buts. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Anyone that thinks otherwise…forget them! That's their problem!"

"Look, I don't run into familiar faces as much as I'd like. Usually it's just me and my Haxorus so…I don't have others to go to when I have these questions. I find myself…just stuck not knowing how to tackle certain matters."

Dawn can sympathize with Iris' concerns. At times during her training, she didn't have others there to help her out with matters of growing up. "Yeah, I can understand and if you had such a close-knit unit as the Village of Dragons, it's hard to trust in most people's advice if they haven't ascended to your circle, right?"

"True, but it's something very, _very_ personal in nature if you know what I mean. Something that not even the circle would be fully aware was happening."

The trainer/coordinator wanted Iris to say it, but it became very clear after just a minute. 'Her mind is sharp, but not clear; thoughts pure, but still on edge.' Smiling, she asks her, "Iris, are you in love?"

That appeared to come out of left field. Never mind, according to the dragon type trainer. Waving her hands in front of Dawn, she says "No! Well…not exactly. I'm interested in finding a…mate. I just don't have anyone I'm fancying at the moment and don't even know how I'd approach the subject."

"Oh, dear God," Dawn mutters while shaking her head and then chuckling leaving Iris a tad confused. "It's funny. I'm kind of guilty of the same thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm here for the tournament, but…yeah. I have other reasons. Call me a romantic, if you want, but I've got the same issue. I'm not sure how to approach him, so I'm trying a few touchups to see if they work. That's part of the reason for the more, shall we say, sophisticated look. I'm…trying to get someone's attention that I knew would be here. If he bites, I think something can blossom from there. I hope so, at least."

Iris is glad that this is happening for Dawn. Again, their circumstances are similar without really being the same. Apparently Dawn's love interest is in the Driftveil City Battle Club right now. It's obvious what the next question is for Iris. "Who is this guy who's caught your attention so?"

Dawn knew that was coming, but she has no idea what the girl across from her will think about this? Iris outright admitted trying to start a relationship with _someone_, so there's no issue of envy at stake, but the question remains. 'Well, no other way to find out than to just say it,' so she does.

"It's…"

"It's…who?" Iris wonders.

Looking down and turning her head for a moment, she lets the cat out of the bag with one name.

"Cilan."

Her eyebrows rose for a few seconds, Iris gets over the shock of hearing this news long enough to say, "Seriously?" She caps her exclamation off with "Cilan? Oh, wow! This ought to be interesting."

* * *

A/N: The name for those who romantically pair Cilan and Dawn is _Savantshipper_. They will serve as the secondary couple (or will they?) and for the next chapter, the confrontation between Iris and Georgia takes place. Stay tuned!

Until then, this is Rave!


	3. Cilan and Profiling

The Buster Gets Busted!

Iris Drayton has evolved from her times with Ash and Cilan to become one of the more renowned Dragon type trainers in the entire Pokémon world, despite only being seventeen. All of this attention amounts to the 'high price of fame', as no matter where she goes, Iris gets hounded by press, salespersons and fanatics of all ages wanting to get her autograph and get to know her from a deeper perspective. Her fully evolved Haxorus takes care of those who become too much of a nuisance, especially those who try to photograph her while she sleeps.

She's now the unique specimen of those who love to train but aren't in love with training, though she hopes that the opportunity to gym lead and get her name out of the spotlight of possibly being a Dragon Master can either change that or set all priorities straight. While signing up for the Club Double tournament, she runs across Dawn, now nearing sixteen, who comes to see the tournament and who will be the next gym leader. Iris is taken by Dawn's beautiful but mature look and feelings of attraction take over again. Dawn assures her it's nothing to worry about—that girls can tell other girls that without there being an issue—and it leads to Iris admitting that she would like to start dating, but doesn't know how. Dawn lets her counterpart know that she's in the same boat, but has her heart set on Class-S Connoisseur Cilan.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon, a creation of one Satoshi Tajiri, and is produced domestically (in the United States) by The Pokemon Company International, and internationally by Nintendo, Shogakukan and OLM. I personally own nothing and make nothing by writing this. Please do not flame.

(Chapter 3- Cilan and Profiling)

* * *

Writing some last-minute notes in anticipation for the upcoming production meeting, Cilan makes preparations for the pivotal four-day tournament beginning on Wednesday. He's already done this at least a dozen times and these notebooks he's complied for various trainers are full, usually within a couple of weeks. It's progressed to the point that he's had to get multiple notebooks for multiple regional trainers and now he's working on a tablet computer with additional written notes next to them as a backup.

No one could accuse him of not being prepared for the task at hand because his actions spoke much louder than his words, if such a thing was even possible. His arrival as an 'in-depth analyst' for Club Battle tournaments came with some level of controversy given that at the time he wasn't eighteen and he remained a co-gym leader for Striaton City. A few legal moves with his brothers relieved him of any potential but largely unforeseen conflicts of interest, but the moment he got into the booth with Freddy and Don George, he didn't miss a beat.

Though young, his experience as a Class-S Connoisseur translated well into commentary. It was not a perfect conversion; however, as he had to package a statement or insight into its time-appropriate space, but once figuring out that aspect of working in television, everything fell into place with few problems. Cilan is not simply respected by the people he works with in the production staff, but the trainers also give him a high rate of approval, as well. It comes from his ability to connect with them and describe to the audience what it takes to prepare for and ultimately win a tournament.

Cilan's position as a color commentator lends him the privilege to speak with trainers all the time on matters of training. Not every trainer is an open book on their craft, but most are willing to let their thoughts be known and heard through the lips of the silver-tongued connoisseur. That lends itself to a certain trust held by most trainers who know that while Cilan has a tendency to run his mouth prolifically, his commentary remains germane to training even though his conversations may not; another mark of high respect for the older teen.

Finished with his notes, he kicks back while in his chair and waits for another ten minutes before nine individuals join him in the conference room to talk about the in the preliminary production meeting. To both sides of Cilan are Freddy O'Martian to his left and Don George to his right. Also in the room, of note, are Driftveil City's Nurse Joy and various other tournament producers.

The only individual standing up in this room is the producer for Club Battle Tournaments in Unova, Mark Goss. He is in front of a whiteboard and holding a washable marker in his right hand. Looking at the time clock by the closed doorway combined with the lack of empty seats, he begins his brief statement, saying "I want to thank all of you for coming early this morning. Like I said in the memo on Friday, I want everyone to be relaxed and well rested, but I also want you to come ready with any and all ideas and come with the passion to sell them so that we can find a way to get them on air. Now, to get our dialogue rolling, I want you all to check this idea out for a future tournament concept from the executive producers."

From here, Mark flips the whiteboard over to reveal a bracket consisting of sixteen spots and a Pokémon type filling all spaces of the bracket with two filling one. There is a bit of commotion given some standard practices of past Club Battle tournaments, but Goss presses his hands down as if to settle his group for the time being. "Look, I want to forewarn everyone here that the execs are not holding a hard line with this idea. Their feeling is, though, that the abilities of trainers these days to suit attacks to various Pokémon can overcome most type advantages. Now they understand type advantages and disadvantages as well as any of you, so as you can see, those factors are taken into serious consideration. The first round matchups for this concept are Dragon versus Ground, Fire versus Electric, Water against Steel and Bug versus Normal. On the other side of the bracket is Ice against Poison, Flying versus Psychic, Grass versus Fighting and Rock against either Dark or Ghost. The idea behind it, if you can tell, is that we won't give any trainer's Pokémon a leg up on the competition. I can kind of tell by the looks on your faces that you want to say your peace on this idea. Just bear in mind, as we start, that this is an idea for a _future_ project and not this present tournament. The first of you to raise your hand will have sixty seconds to explain your reasons for or against. Okay…now!"

Looking closely at the hands in the room, he believes he found the first person who raised their hand. "Nurse Joy. What are your thoughts on this?"

"On the surface, it seems so convoluted and arbitrary," she says right off the bat. "Mark, I know that whoever came up with these matchups wanted no types to rise above another, but the system seems like it's there merely for the purpose of being there. I'd vote an absolute 'no' and let the tried and true random draws prevail for any future projects such as these. That's all I have to say for now."

"Okay, are any of you willing to second Joy on her notion?" Mark checks for hands and sees Cilan raise his hand. He respects the opinion of all the people that make this project possible, but Cilan tends to bring a unique spin with his words and an eye for production in the mind of a young man ahead of his years. "Okay, Navarro. Sixty seconds."

'I'll never get used to being called by my last name.' Shaking his head and smirking a bit, he chimes in, "I second Nurse Joy's notion. I feel that the emphasis is not being evenly distributed amongst trainers and the types they will use. To lock trainers up in any way to one Pokémon type seems counterproductive to the goals of a varied population filled with numerous types. It would be akin to eating only one of the basic food groups for life; it won't serve the body well in the long run. Now, if the producers desire to carry this idea forward at all, just have type-specific tournaments to serve as the entry prerequisite into a mega tournament format based on types. I have a close friend of mine who won one for Dragon type trainers, but we don't have that kind of carry-over method here. What it appears we have is an admission from the sanctioning body that certain types are neutral, ultra effective, or not effective at all against other types and that training up a Pokémon won't cover the type-attack advantage. That's entirely the wrong message to send to aspiring trainers and not just because it's flat out wrong. I'd second Nurse Joy's concern and vote on retaining the random draw for future tournaments. I understand the sanctioning body's desire to maintain 'the show', but this is a matter that just needs to be ironed out as it's not ready for primetime."

"Okay, are any of you in favor of the type bracket as shown on the board?" Mark looks for anyone opposed to the arguments and can't find a raised hand in the bunch. "The question is on a motion to table the future 'type' bracket and remain with the present random draw. Those in favor of the motion, say 'Aye'."

All voices in the room say 'Aye', including that of the director. For purposes of procedure, Mark asks, "All opposed, say 'No'," to which no one replies. "The motion is agreed to and the bracket will go back to the executives with your revised notes."

Elbowing the connoisseur, Don George quietly commends Cilan for his argument. The teen replies back to him with the same tone, "Thank you. It's not a bad idea in principle; it just needs some seasoning to form a proper taste to the critical palates of our audience."

"Ahem," fills the room as Director Goss reminds everyone in general but Cilan in particular, "Again, I appreciate your enthusiasm with this, but now it's time to move forward. Anyone with additional ideas to improve the type bracket can meet with me after we adjourn. Now then on to the subject of conveying to the audience the gravity of this tournament; are there any ideas on how we do this? Okay, Scoop? You've got sixty seconds."

Freddy doesn't have much time but doesn't need much time to speak on this matter. "Well, we all know the sacrifice of these trainers and the work that will come once one of them goes to school. Everyone here has to win multiple tournaments in either the Battle Club or the Unova League Conferences to even enter this event. I feel that after countless years of traveling, training and capturing Pokémon, going on journeys, learning from mistakes and getting to this point, which is so different from all the others, it will all truly come to a head for someone this week. No hyperbole, conjecture or spin on our parts can make this seem bigger than it has any business being amongst trainers. It is not easy to become a gym leader. Most trainers need at least a decade of education, community service and planning outside of the efforts of training to even be considered for that role. When we interview these people, it will be important for us to stress the work that went into it and that a life's dream is about to come true. When we ask them 'What is so important about winning this prize above all others?' they'll tell us true, raw stories of growing and competing in the business, all the while, dreaming for a moment like this one. The way I see it, our jobs here won't be difficult, but will be rewarding, so I go the human route here while—"

"Wonderful words, O'Martian, but your time is up," says the director while he makes notes in his book for future reference. Lifting his head up after some quick note taking Mark asks, "Does anyone have other ideas? Don George, I saw your hand go up first. You've got sixty seconds to help us out."

"Let us not forget," he begins, speaking in his notably husky voice, "that along with the prestigious honor of taking part in a Gym Leader's school, which can lead to an infinite number of possibilities beyond leading a gym, the Battle Club's sponsorship including high access to all our facilities for a year will help advance any Pokémon trainer's aspirations going forward. My men and women at the Driftveil City Battle Club are preparing the post-tournament ceremony fit for someone with the credentials to take on all trainers and ability levels and this region along with all the others should expect nothing but the best of the upcoming generation of leaders. Convey to the audience at that moment that this trainer loves what he or she does and what it means to ascend to this level and my feeling is there is no way that this production staff can go wrong. Also let us acknowledge the unbreakable bonds between trainer and Pokémon which are chief among the reasons the trainers are even to this point where it all can come together in the right way. This all amounts to a team effort; that is something I feel the audience can surely support and I'll have full details of the celebration for you and the rest of the board to read in your respective offices by this afternoon."

"Excellent, Don George, and with scant seconds to spare, you got in everything you wanted," remarks Director Goss. "By the way, everyone, I know he said that he wouldn't get to this meeting in time, and that's obvious because he's not here, but Brother Luke assured me that though his flight from Virbank City got delayed, he'll get here by no later than seven o'clock this evening. He's so ready for this week that he's doing as much editing as he can while on the flight to compensate for lost time in the terminals."

Though none of them showed it on their face, knowing that Luke would be ready and in time for this tournament was the equivalent of gospel to their ears. The tournaments themselves provided great theater for even the causal viewers of Pokémon training, but Luke's editing and filmmaking expertise made him arguably the best man for this job, even though it is a part-time arrangement to supplement his income for future film projects. To put it simply, his input provides that extra pop to make an already great event excellent. "Well, that's another feather in our cap," Cilan remarks, knowing the magic his friend can create is never taken for granted in the production process. "Now, all we need is an individual worthy of the accolades and these next six days will surely be ones to remember."

"Well, it's no easy task to win four double battles in a row with the talent I saw in the lobby earlier," says Mark back to his top trainer analyst. "Guys, no matter how you slice it, this is exciting. This is what we all work towards in this business and it'll happen in a matter of a few days. Someone's life is truly about to change this week and we'll all have a hand in of being a part of that change."

"Such is the reason why we love training," Cilan remarks. Slyly, he adds, based on some inside information from earlier this morning, "I don't think I'm overreaching when I say this should be a fun week for everyone involved."

* * *

"So, now that you've let me know of this most-intriguing news, I have one other question I'd love to ask you before I register for the tournament," says Iris, now interested in playing the potential role of matchmaker. "What brought on these feelings for Cilan?"

The story behind it now becomes front and center discussion as Dawn adjusts her glasses a bit and gives off a slight but serene smile. She admits that "It was all so…unique and eye opening. Cilan got a special assignment about five months ago to report live on the Grand Festival in the Kanto region. It's not…he knows coordinating, but that isn't a major strength of his and getting insights on the different coordinators couldn't have been an easy feat either. Despite his handicap, he took time to see Ash again and knowing that I was there, Ash re-introduced us and…it began.

"Now…it's time for me to be honest with not just you but myself," she continues. "I doubt you can even call them by the name, but I've had relationships with other people. With my traveling schedule, though, nothing ever got beyond a one or two night stand. It sounds crazy, but…"

"That's the culture; sad but true," says Iris, not really wanting to get too embroiled in what should be Dawn explaining matters to her. "I can't judge, though. I've been there and got out before I did some real damage to myself and others. I'm sorry. Please continue."

"In any case, when we got reacquainted, he was so…unlike anyone else when he spent fifteen minutes with me alone after Ash left to get lunch. He remembered so much of me and my Pokémon, the nuances I used while in battle in Unova, my penchant for variety in training to stay ahead of my closest competition—it's as if neither of us spent any time apart! I could also tell that he saw a bit of change in me that…I didn't even see in myself.

"I felt quite…jarred when he said that I was blossoming into quite the lady, but later realized that the most important person who _didn't_ see that was me. Time passed, yet I refused to drop my past because for a while. It was too convenient—too comforting—to not form bonds but still get a semblance of what you wanted because so many were willing to provide it. The others were strictly devil may care; we would be treasure one day and trash the next. I never got that from Cilan. He's a working man, but perhaps that's his greatest strength in that he works to see the best in all of us and never intends to tear down with his words. What put me over the edge is…during that weekend, he left me once the ceremonies were done and said, 'If you ever want to see me and just talk about anything under the sun, I'd love to have you. Come up and see me whenever I'm available.' It was as close to an invitation I've ever experienced."

Iris' interest in Dawn's realization that she's smitten with the connoisseur made a turn in these last few minutes. What began as a passing interest in a friends discovery now became a unique turn from being part of the crowd to taking initiative and ownership of oneself after getting caught up in the lifestyle that is 'the road'. It never surprises Iris why so many trainers can't cut it for long and she's glad her friend came to her senses to realize that there is a better way than constant one-nighters. "You know, that's great to hear. I do hope something good comes out of this. Am I…off base to ask that if the new look serves as a means of attracting Cilan?"

"Yes, it's all part of the plan."

"Okay, that's cool," Iris admits. "I suppose I have one more question. Cilan said that if you and he met again, he'd be delighted to have you. Now, I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here, but…Cilan is quite popular with the fairer sex. How do you know that it isn't _just _the fact that he's always super nice to everyone and that he's a people person within?"

"Easy answer. She has no clue!" speaks a foreign voice. It's one that Iris hasn't heard in quite some time, but as she walks up to the two girls, it's very apparent that some things just don't change; among them being the smile on this teen's face as she knows she got the goat of Dawn Berlitz, which didn't sit well in Iris' mind as she was just trying to temper her friend's expectations.

"Georgia!" Iris exclaims like the two never had an absence. "Don't you know how rude it is to eavesdrop on conversations? Sheesh. Four years don't appear to have done anything for your maturity. What a kid."

"Takes one to know one, delightful," she fires back sarcastically while Dawn watches with mouth wide open. "Besides, it's not only a free country but a public lobby so it's best that everyone just watch what they say. You never know who might hear it."

"Why don't you say that with less piss and vinegar in your mouth and see how it suits you before you bark up the wrong tree?" Iris asks her old rival. "Dawn's just following the call of her heart. Only a self-centered jerk would think otherwise and try to belittle her for it!"

"Why don't you come and say that to my face," asks Georgia challenging Iris, "or is that champion's crown of yours crowding your better vision?"

Seeing the tension between the trainers rise, Dawn does her best to get in between the feuding parties. "All right, girls," Dawn says, trying to prevent any blowups. "That's enough of—AHH!"

As Dawn would find out, in quick order, getting in between Iris and Georgia is not the greatest idea. Dawn found herself in the middle of an electric spark not knowing that her prized hair fell victim to the spark.

The action reminded her all too well of the days when Pachirisu would shock her, leaving her hair a frizzy state. Getting her bearings back in order, she gets on her feet only to see the old rivals with softened faces. In fact, she could make out their mouths quivering all while looking right at her.

"Are you two okay?"

"Well, I am," Georgia answers, her voice breaking in the middle.

"Me too," adds Iris, barely able to keep her emotion in, as well.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping on your personal business, but…well…"

"It did get a little heated between us, but…"

"But…what?" Dawn can't quite put her finger on what caused their emotional shift from anger to apparent humor as both girls do their best to hold in giggles. Tired of having the veil held over her eyes, she asks the two hyenaesque trainers, "All right. What's so damn funny?"

"Well, Dawn, even you have to admit that was quite a _shock_ getting in between our spark."

"And now, you'll get to see how much of a shock it is," Georgia adds while reaching into her knapsack. Finding the item she was looking for, she opens a compact mirror and gives it to Dawn imploring her to "Look."

Taking the mirror from Georgia, she gets a look at her now shorter hair standing up and jutting out like lightning bolts reaching up to the sky.

From that point, her eyebrows and eyelids attempt to reach in that same direction and Iris and Georgia keel over in full-blown laughter at Dawn's misfortune.

Closing the compact and tossing it in Georgia's general vicinity, Dawn puffs up her cheeks and leaves the lobby area saying, "I'll see you two little jokesters later," though the comment likely fell on death's ear based on the shared laughter of these reunited rivals.

* * *

A/N: In the next chapter, Iris and Georgia continue their conversation, the call to register goes out to all trainers, Luke makes it just in time to Driftveil City and the strategy games begin!

Until then, it's been Rave!


End file.
